xescuy 0 Report post Posted September 24, 2008 Hola, Anybody knows if the clock on the OBC is supposed to be backlit? I can test the computer and the back lights come on for the main LCD but the clock is not very well visible in the day and not at all visible at night. Should I bother removing the OBC to change the LEDs or just suck it up? Any advice ?? Thanks Model : 1995 BMW 328is E36 OBC - 8 button one P.S. I'm also possibly looking for a full OBC(18 buttons) to fit on the car but I'm not positive that all the sensors are already installed. Are they?? I can figure out the harness conversion but not at all interested in installing temp/speed/etc sensors. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greenday-rulz21 4 Report post Posted September 24, 2008 Hola, Anybody knows if the clock on the OBC is supposed to be backlit? I can test the computer and the back lights come on for the main LCD but the clock is not very well visible in the day and not at all visible at night. Should I bother removing the OBC to change the LEDs or just suck it up? Any advice ?? Thanks Model : 1995 BMW 328is E36 OBC - 8 button one P.S. I'm also possibly looking for a full OBC(18 buttons) to fit on the car but I'm not positive that all the sensors are already installed. Are they?? I can figure out the harness conversion but not at all interested in installing temp/speed/etc sensors. It is meant to be backlit. It is very easy to remove the OBC, it should just pop out. IMO it is worth replacing the bulb or whatever, mine wasn't working and it really annoyed me, and now it looks mint!Have a look here. The part I think you need is number 6. Just go into a BMW dealer and ask for a replacement, shouldn't cost much at all. Upgrading to the 18 button one is not just a swap unfortunately, you would need to find a whole loom from a car that had a 18 button OBC. Quite a big job, but very rewarding once its all working. All the sensors wouldn't be installed, but you would need to swap them with ones on the 18 button OBC loom wouldn't you anyway? Someone can clarify this for you. Cheers, Nick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuen 16 Report post Posted September 24, 2008 IIRC, the bulbs cost ~$2 - $3 at the dealer. They aren't LEDs. To remove the OBC, there will be a hole above the sunglass holder, just use your finger to unclip the OBC from the bottom. Then you'll see the bulbs can just be unscrewed and you pop the new bulb in. As Nick said, 18 button will need to be retrofitted... whether it's worth the trouble is up to you. There are many resources online about this. Hopefully the screen on your 8 button OBC is still good, most of them have dead pixels! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xescuy 0 Report post Posted September 24, 2008 (edited) IIRC, the bulbs cost ~$2 - $3 at the dealer. They aren't LEDs. To remove the OBC, there will be a hole above the sunglass holder, just use your finger to unclip the OBC from the bottom. Then you'll see the bulbs can just be unscrewed and you pop the new bulb in. As Nick said, 18 button will need to be retrofitted... whether it's worth the trouble is up to you. There are many resources online about this. Hopefully the screen on your 8 button OBC is still good, most of them have dead pixels! No missing pixels as far as I can see. I actually tried taking it out but it's not as easy as all the net DIY posts indicate I'm a bit hesitant to apply too much force on the side clips. I'd be pissed If I managed to break my dash P.S. The bulbs are actually 5$ at Shelly in Wellington, but I think I only need one (for the clock) Edited September 24, 2008 by XescuY Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark 178 Report post Posted September 24, 2008 As Yuen said, put your finger into the hole on the top of the sunglass holder and push upwards and out HARD. You won't break it. The top edge of the OBC needs to pop out first, then you can wiggle the whole thing free. When replacing a bulb, remember to take the old one with you to the stealer. BMW used a few different companies to make the OBC and the bulbs are not compatible between models. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuen 16 Report post Posted September 24, 2008 How easy it is to remove really depends on how many times it's been removed before. I've done this in two cars, one was so easy - it just came loose with a slight push, while on the other, I had to push really hard. So don't worry, just push the bit that your finger can feel upwards and push really hard, one end should come out... then wiggle it out. There shouldn't be anything to break. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xescuy 0 Report post Posted September 25, 2008 Thanks for the help. I'll get on it today and let you know how it went. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xescuy 0 Report post Posted September 26, 2008 Done and done. It just needed a bit more muscle. Prolly never been taken out before. Most of the cars I drove were American and as we know they are made out of congealed vomit so my concern about dash material strength are based on previous observation. Got the bulb out and I'll get a replacement from the $tealer tomorrow since Repco doesn't have it. Thanks for all your help. See you around Wellie. R Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuen 16 Report post Posted September 26, 2008 Most of the cars I drove were American and as we know they are made out of congealed vomit Haha... Congrats mate, that's fantastic. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
